Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano erupts from its summit

“Volcanic eruptions, like the one in Hawai’i and the one earlier this month at Cleveland Volcano in Alaska, are vivid reminders of why it is so critical to have continuous and reliable monitoring systems”, Sen.

Tina Neal, the scientist-in-charge of the U.S. Geological Survey’s Hawaiian Volcanoes Observatory, said geologists don’t expect the summit eruption to be life-threatening so long as people stay out of the national park.

The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory reports that that the explosive eruption at Kilauea summit occurred at 4:17 a.m. Agency officials said the wind may carry the resulting ash plume north toward Kau, Volcano, Mountain View, Kea’au and as far as Hilo. The volcano bristles with equipment that continuously measure signs of geologic activity, such as ground movement, lava chemistry and seismic vibrations.

Meanwhile, gas emissions remain high around Pahoa and other parts of lower Puna as the East Rift Zone eruption continues.

HAWAII VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK, HI – MAY 15: People watch at a golf course as an ash plume rises in the distance from the Kilauea volcano on Hawaii’s Big Island on May 15, 2018 in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, Hawaii.

Kilauea’s eruption was also seen from the global space station.

Geologists have warned that the volcano could become even more violent, with increasing ash production and the potential that future blasts could hurl boulders the size of cows from the summit.

Steam-driven explosions were observed at Kilauea in 1924, when there was a similar drop in levels at the lava lake. If the steam builds pressure, “it can eventually burst out in an explosion”, Swanson said. On the other hand, stratovolcanoes – which include Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines and Mount St. Helens in Washington State – are usually taller and have more viscous lava flows with trapped gas that can generate volatile explosions.

A USGS update on Wednesday describes “dense ballistic blocks” and warns, “Additional such explosions are expected and could be more powerful”. In 2014, debris and ash from a steam explosion at Mount Ontake in Japan killed 63 people. “Our state has five of the highest threat volcanoes in the nation, and as we’re seeing in Hawaii right now, these volcanoes are a persistent and serious threat. UC Berkeley Volcanologist Stephen Self says that’s what the activity on the volcano has been leading up to, red hot lava flowing down out of the crater to an epic meeting with the groundwater below”. “That itself is incredible”.

The volcano on the Big Island exploded at about 6am. Eye and respiratory irritants with low-level impacts for most people.

“Further observations are necessary to asses this interpretation”.

The Kilauea volcano erupted Thursday, sending ash about 30,000 feet (9,144 meters) into the air.

“We know what people are going through in Leilani Estates”.

Kilauea’s latest eruption “is an exciting event but its coming at a cost”, Poland says, noting that dozens of homes have been destroyed and tourism is suffering.